> What kind of company sells a product but gives it to elites for free?

The kind of company that makes money off the elites.

Sweeney is missing the point by a mile here. The verification check was not the "product", content and users are. Having it was also not a matter of money or prestige, it was a way of telling who were persons or organizations of public interest.

Now it has become meaningless. If anything, it is more expensive now, so who benefits from this? Not the masses, that's for sure.